Rennes achieved a strong 3-0 win over big-spending Lyon in the French league on Sunday.
Benjamin Bourigeaud scored first in the 19th minute with a free kick that was deflected. A little over a minute later, Amine Gouiri increased Rennes’ lead following a quick counterattack.
Henrik Meister, a Danish striker who joined Rennes this summer, completed the win with a goal in stoppage time to cap off a dominant display.
Lyon, which had a tough season last year, has struggled again this season despite heavy spending in the transfer market. Forward Georges Mikautadze, bought for 18.5 million euros ($20 million) after a strong Euro 2024 performance with Georgia, missed a penalty on Sunday.
Lyon central defender Moussa Niakhaté, signed for 32 million euros ($35 million) from Nottingham Forest, was responsible for two of the three goals Lyon conceded.
In other matches, Auxerre marked its return to Ligue 1 with a 2-1 win over Nice at Stade de l’Abbé Deschamps. Nice took the lead with a header from Mohamed-Ali Cho, but Auxerre equalized before halftime with a goal from Rayan Raveloson. Lasso Coulibaly scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
Lens won 1-0 against promoted side Angers, with Wesley Saïd scoring in the first half, marking a successful start for new coach Will Still.
Toulouse and Nantes ended their match in a 0-0 draw, while Montpellier and Strasbourg also drew 1-1.
